Introduction

It has been more than 14 years since the publication of the original edition of this book. A great deal has happened in the world of computer security since that time. This edition is updated to include newer information, updated issues, and revised content.

The real question is: Who is this book for? This book is a guide for any computer-savvy person. This means system administrators who are not security experts and anyone who has a working knowledge of computers and wishes to know more about cybercrime and cyber terrorism could find this book useful. However, the core audience will be students who wish to take a first course in security but may not have a thorough background in computer networks. The book is in textbook format, making it ideal for introductory computer security courses that have no specific prerequisites. That lack of prerequisites means that people outside the normal computer science and computer information systems departments could also avail themselves of a course based on this book. This might be of particular interest to law enforcement officers, criminal justice majors, and even business majors with an interest in computer security.

As was previously mentioned, this book is intended as an introductory computer security book. In addition to the numerous footnotes, the appendixes will guide you to a plethora of additional resources. There are also review questions and practice exercises with every chapter. Appendix B provides the answers to the multiple choice questions for your review. Exercises and projects are intended to encourage the reader to explore, so answers will vary.

This book assumes that you are a competent computer user. That means you have used a computer at work and at home, are comfortable with email and web browsers, and know what words like RAM and USB mean. For instructors considering using this book as a textbook, students should have a basic understanding of PCs but need not have had formal computer courses. For this reason, the book includes a chapter on basic networking concepts to get those students up to speed. Those with more knowledge, such as system administrators, will find some chapters of more use than others. Feel free to simply skim any chapter that you feel is too elementary for you.